The Music Box
by Ceressky
Summary: PostAC. Cloud's quest to give Tifa a special gift uncovers strange happenings at their hometown of Nibelheim when he visits Tifa's old martial arts teacher, Zangan. CloudTifa
1. Chapter 1

The Music Box

By Ceres Sky

Chapter One: Remember

Author's Note: This is a prequel short story of sorts to a longer fic that I hope to write soon. It has been a long time since I've written fanfiction (or anything else for that matter) so my writing will probably be very rusty. Hope you enjoy the story anyway! Sorry about the original upload. messed up my formatting.

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There was life in her eyes again. Was it arrogant of him to believe he was the one who had brought that life back to her eyes? She stood at the sink, humming as she washed dishes. He sat at the bar, watching her, wondering why he had always felt alone when he had a family waiting for him.

A family. Is that what Tifa, Denzel, Marlene, and Cloud were? On his delivery runs, his clients would sometimes ask, in an effort to make small talk, "Mr. Strife, do you have a family?" He would always nod nonchalantly and say yes. What else he could say?

Tifa finished washing the dishes and came to sit beside him at the bar, smiling as she set a glass in front of him. "It's late, Cloud. Don't you have a delivery tomorrow?"

Cloud looked over at her. "It's late, Tifa. Don't you have a bar to run tomorrow?"

She laughed, her eyes lighting up at his teasing. "Well, yes, I do, but I don't have to get up early as you do."

He wanted to give her something. Something special to her. But what? He didn't realize that he was frowning until Tifa spoke again.

"Cloud, what are you thinking?" She seemed concerned, and Cloud knew what was going through her mind. _He's thinking of Aeris again._

"Tifa, if there were one thing you could have back, what would it be?"

Now it was her turn to frown. And he could see the question in her eyes.

"Do you mean an object, a person, or a feeling?" She asked quietly.

Cloud sighed. He wished sometimes that their conversations were not always so overshadowed by their past, by... her. He knew it was not what she would have wanted, for her friends to always mourn her death. She had told him herself that everything was all right and she held nothing against him for not being able to save her.

"An object, Tifa," Cloud said, almost defensively.

Tifa looked surprised for a moment, but her gaze grew far away as she sorted through her memories. He wasn't sure if he could ever obtain what she came up with, but it could not hurt to try. He could always ask Vincent. The man was a better investigator and informant than all the Turks put together sometimes.

Tifa shifted on the barstool, mouth set in decision. "A music box my father gave me... after my mother died."

Cloud was surprised to know that he remembered that music box. Though he had been banned from seeing Tifa after her terrible accident in the mountains, he had still been able to watch her from his room since they were neighbors. He had known that Tifa often kept her curtains open during the day. He remembered watching her pick up a music box from her desk and play its tune over and over again. Sometimes, she would look up and see him watching her. She would give him a little wave and then disappear from the window, hiding with her private pain. Soon, she stopped opening the curtains in the morning and Cloud would not see her at all for days.

Tifa's eyes were deamy. "It was a plain little music box. Just a couple dancing on a wooden block, but the woman reminded me of my mother. And the tune was one she often sang or hummed while she worked around the house."

"Was it the tune you were humming while you were doing the dishes just now?" Cloud asked.

Tifa glanced at him, eyes widened in realization. "Why, yes..., it was," she stammered. Then, she smiled. "I'm glad I still remember it."

Cloud stored all this information away, deciding that he would go visit a local trinket shop during his deliveries the next day. The owner would probably be able to help him.

"Cloud, what about you?" Tifa asked.

Cloud started. He had been focused so much on what TIfa's answer would be that he hadn't thought she would turn the question back on him. He wasn't prepared for it and had no answer.

"What about me?" He echoed, trying to buy himself some time. Various memories swept through his mind, but there were so many things he wished he could have back that he could not choose only one. He looked over at Tifa, feeling guilty as he said, "I don't know, Tifa."

She nodded. "It's okay, Cloud." She shrugged. "I shouldn't have asked."

Cloud stared down at the counter. "No, I asked you; only fair that you ask me. To be honest, I haven't thought about it."

Tifa stood up, taking her glass and Cloud's over to the sink. She quickly washed them and set them down to dry. She came back to stand near him. He looked up at her and was startled to see the light still in her eyes. He had thought she would be upset about his answer.

"It really is okay, Cloud," Tifa smiled at him, and Cloud almost felt that she was laughing at him behind the grave sincerity in her eyes. "I shouldn't have expected a guy to think about things like that. After all, you really are okay now, right?" She hesitated, doubt trickling into the amused expression on her face.

Cloud heard the words, but he knew Tifa well enough to hear the actual meaning behind them. _Are you going to stay with us, Cloud? You aren't going to leave us again?_

Cloud reached out to take her hand. "Yes, Tifa, I'm okay."

She squeezed his hand, the doubt leaving her face quickly as it had come. "I'm glad." She let go of his hand and walked to the stairs. Turning back to face him, she said, "Good night, Cloud."

He watched her go. He wished that he had not left when he found out he had Geostigma. He had thought it was best for his family, but now they would always doubt him. Denzel had been strong, while Cloud had gone off to die alone. Somehow, he would have to make it up to them. He wondered how long it would take.

* * *

"You're wanting me to make you a music box?" Braden asked. He frowned, lost in thought. "When do you need it?"

"I'm in no rush, so you can take your time if you have to," Cloud said. Braden was the owner of the Edge of the World shop, and Cloud had made many deliveries for him since Braden's specialty was unique gifts. Braden could also talk a mile a minute once he got going.

"What do you want this music box to look like?" Braden asked, shuffling around some papers a little bit nervously. He very much hoped he would be able to fill Cloud's order. Strife Delivery Service had allowed him to reach areas of the world that would otherwise never have heard of his shop.

Cloud described the gift carefully while Braden took notes on a piece of paper. When he finished, Cloud said, "I'll even go pick up the parts you need for free."

Braden brightened at that. "That would be a big help to me, Cloud. I could probably finish it in a week if I didn't have to wait for parts."

"I will get them for you today if possible," Cloud said as he handed Braden a few coins. "Here's an advance on the cost."

"If you'll wait here a moment, I'll go make out a list for you to take to Zangan in Nibelheim. He is my parts supplier. He's hard to keep track of; the guy is always moving. But he sells quality parts and makes it a point to let me know where he is. The two of us go way back. Trained together in martial arts. Kind of funny we both ended up in the same business."

Cloud had remained silent through this waterfall of words, but he had to break in at the end as Braden was about to head to the back. "Did you just say Zangan is in Nibelheim?" His head was spinning slightly at the the thought of going back to his hometown. Even more shocking was that Tifa's martial arts teacher would be there. Someone Tifa hadn't seen in more than 7 years.

"Yes, I did," Braden said. He studied Cloud thoughtfully. "Do you know Zangan?" When Cloud did not answer right away, he looked a little worried. "Are you all right, Cloud?"

Cloud regained his composure and tried to look less surprised. "It's just that Nibelheim is where I grew up."

Braden walked into the back, talking as he went. "I see. Well, you should have no trouble finding the place then. I thought I was going to have to give you directions. It sounds out of the way from what Zangan's told me." He came back with a sheet of paper and handed it to Cloud. "There used to be a Mako reactor there, right?"

Cloud nodded, staring at the paper in his hand but not seeing the words on it. "I'll go right away. I should have the parts back for you tomorrow." The sooner he got back from Nibelheim, the better. He had to admit a certain curiosity though in what Zangan was doing there.

"Here, give this to Zangan for me, will you? He was wanting some things to sell in his store. I don't know who he's going to sell them to though. I've heard Nibelheim's been deserted for years. Something about ghosts in a haunted mansion there that scares folks away." Braden handed Cloud a small package and the coins Cloud had just given him. "Take these for your delivery fee and then you can pay me when the music box is finished." He smiled, then shrugged. "That Zangan, he's always been the itinerant one, but I like Edge just fine. Who knows? Maybe people are moving to Nibelheim and there actually is some business there." He showed Cloud to the door, the bell ringing cheerily as he let Cloud out. "See you tomorrow, Cloud. Tell old Zangan I said hi, will ya?"

"Thank you, Braden. I'll see you tomorrow."

As Cloud rode out of Edge on Fenrir, one thought was ringing through his mind. "What is Zangan doing in Nibelheim?"


	2. Chapter 2

**The Music Box**

**by Ceres Sky**

**Chapter Two: Nibelheim**

Author's Note: These chapters are very short because I only have an hour to write them in the morning on weekdays while my son watches one of his DVDs. And I did the writing by hand. Next time, I may use my husband's laptop and type it out instead. I will probably be able to get more of the story in if I can type it. Anyway, I introduce an original character in this story who is mostly a support role for now but may become something more in the sequel to this story. Anyway, thanks to my reviewers so far. :) I really appreciate your encouragement.

* * *

When Cloud rode into Nibelheim, the sun had already set. The stars twinkled above him as he stopped at the gates of the town, senses alert for any danger. He had called Tifa a few hours earlier, telling her he would not be home until tomorrow. She had been disappointed, but he could tell she was glad that he had called to let her know. He had purposely not told her where he was going, and she did not ask, for which he was grateful. Denzel and Marlene had shouted, "Hello, Cloud!" in the background and Tifa had started laughing as they peppered him with questions at the top of their lungs. Cloud had laughed also and it surprised him how good it felt. He had said good night to Tifa and the kids and hung up, shaking his head in wonder at the power of a phone call.

Coming back to the present, Cloud scanned the town from his vantage point. The town seemed quiet, much the same as when he, Tifa, and Barrett had come to visit before, after defeating Sephiroth for the first time. Unsure of whether or not to ride Fenrir into town, he decided to hide Fenrir in the woods outside the gates. Instinct told him it might be best if his motorcycle were not seen.

Hefting a small pack containing Braden's wares onto his shoulder, Cloud walked into Nibelheim.

* * *

Zangan's store was easy to spot. It was the only building with cheery light filtering from the windows upstairs. All the other buildings were deserted, looking forlorn and lonely with their darkened, blank windows. How Cloud knew they were deserted he didn't know. His senses just told him so.

Cloud walked by his house, then more slowly, by Tifa's house. They both still looked the same, and for some reason, that bothered him. For a brief moment, he wondered what the town would have been like if Sephiroth had never burned it down and Shinra had never taken it over. Maybe he and Tifa would have married, living near his mother and her father. Maybe they would have had children... Cloud shut down his thoughts.

"You have Marlene and Denzel now; don't dwell on what could have been," he told himself sternly.

He soon found himself at the door to the lone lighted home in Nibelheim. He knocked on the heavy wooden door. The lights flickered on downstairs, and Cloud fidgeted as someone fiddled with the lock. The door opened wide, and Cloud was briefly blinded by the light shining into his eyes.

"Yes, how may I help you?" A dark-haired stood in the doorway, and for an instant, Cloud thought he was looking at his friend Zack. But the illusion vanished when Cloud saw the green eyes considering him with a polite curiosity and no recognition.

"I'm here to see Zangan," Cloud stated, with his usual bluntness when it came to dealing with people.

The man nodded, and Cloud saw that they were probably about the same age. "Not many people come to see Master Zangan. Come in." He stepped back from the doorway, allowing Cloud into the house. "If you will follow me upstairs." The man bowed slightly and turned toward the steps.

Cloud followed silently, wondering if this was the same house Zangan had lived in while he was training Tifa. He stopped as a framed picture on the wall caught his eye. It was a picture of Tifa. She looked like she had just finished a sparring session because the color in her cheeks was high and her eyes were sharpened with battle awareness. She was smiling at the camera, a hand up to her hair as if trying to pat it into place. The photo next to it was more shocking though. It was a picture of Zack, Tifa, and Sephiroth, right before she had guided them to the Mako reactor. Cloud looked away from it quickly, seeing those three together brought him too many bad memories.

The other man had already reached the top of the steps and was watching Cloud thoughtfully.

"He talks much about her," he said suddenly. "He tells me she was one of his best students."

Cloud glanced up at him and then continued up the stairs. His host turned without saying anything more and led him into a comfortable living room. An older man was sitting in one of the two leather armchairs in the room. A book lay open on his lap, which he instantly shut when he saw Cloud.

"Master Zangan, this man says he must speak with you." The dark-haired man left the room with a respectful nod to both Cloud and Zangan.

"I do not have many visitors to my store, let alone my home." Zangan waved Cloud to the other armchair. "Welcome." As Cloud settled into the chair and slipped the bag off his shoulder, Zangan said, "What brings you to Nibelheim, Cloud Strife."

"I could ask the same of you, Zangan," Cloud replied as he rummaged in his pack, drawing out the small package Braden had given him. He stood up to hand the package to the older man. "Braden sent this with me and he said to tell you hi." Cloud shrugged as Zangan took the package.

A small smile tugged at Zangan's lips. "So Braden is finally sending me items for my store." He laughed shortly. "Although he is right in assuming that I do not receive much business in this forsaken place."

Cloud sat back down, studying Zangan thoughtfully. He was not surprised that Zangan knew who he was. Avalanche and all its members had become heroes anew after defeating Bahamut in Edge, though very few knew that Sephiroth had returned for a brief time to the ruins of Midgar.

"_Good to see you..., Cloud." _That voice echoed through his mind and he looked around the room warily, wondering if that had been merely an echo of his memories or if he had actually heard that hated voice.

"So you can hear him too, can you," Zangan said.

Cloud glanced at Zangan, surprised. "That wasn't just..." His voice faltered.

"I can hear him also, but Shan," Zangan paused and looked toward where the dark-haired man had left the room. "Shan cannot. I have my suspicions on why I can hear him. A pity Tifa isn't here because it might help me deduce what is going on."

"No!" Cloud stood up. The idea of bringing Tifa here to hear Sephiroth's voice...

"Sit down, Cloud." Zangan's gaze was sharp as Cloud reclaimed his seat. However, he offered no more information, and Cloud realized that Zangan was waiting for him to speak.

"_I will never be a memory..."_

Cloud shook his head, willing that voice to leave him alone. He took refuge in his reason for visiting Nibelheim.

"I'm here to pick up parts for Braden. They're for a gift for Tifa." Cloud pulled out the list.

"_I have a gift for you, Cloud." _Why would it not go away? And Zangan sat in this chair, looking for all the world like he could NOT hear that voice, yet he said that he could.

"You want to know why I'm here, don't you, Cloud?" Zangan asked, taking the list from Cloud's cold hand and scanning it. "Why would I come back to a place where such terrible things have happened?" He looked down at Cloud, eyes hard. He turned his head. "Shan!" He said loudly.

Shan entered the room, his pace unhurried. He stood at ease, gaze on Zangan. "Master?" He said politely.

"Take this list and fill the order for Mr. Strife, please." Shan stepped forward and took the list. He went downstairs into the shop. When Cloud heard Shan opening and closing drawers and cabinets in search of the parts on the list, he said, "Zangan, why are you here in Nibelheim?"

Cloud realized that perhaps there was nothing Zangan could tell him until he had asked the right questions and possibly offered his help. He frowned. If Zangan needed his help, then he probably would not be going home to Edge and Tifa tomorrow. Zangan stepped backward slightly as Shan came back upstairs with Cloud's order.

"Cloud, you can either take these parts and go home and be none the wiser." Zangan took the bag Shan was holding and held it out to Cloud. When Cloud did not take it, Zangan continued, "Or you can listen to what I have to say and I will give you the original of the music box Braden is going to make for you."

The original music box? Where could Zangan could have found such a thing? And how could it still be intact after the fire? There were too many questions now for Cloud to go home. He had to hear Zangan's story.

Cloud stood up, pushing the bag away. "I will listen, Zangan, but I can't promise I can help."

Zangan still looked stern, but there was a tinge of relief in his eyes. "That is all I ask."


	3. Chapter 3

**The Music Box**

By Ceres Sky

Chapter Three: The Music Box

Author's Note: I am very sorry that this update has taken so long. I went on vacation for 2 weeks and was not able to finish this story before I left as I had wanted to. I hope that I haven't lost the thread of the story while I've been gone. 

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"Shan, will you please go get the music box sitting on my desk?" Zangan asked as he sat down. For a moment, Cloud felt sorry for Shan. The man had spent most of the visit fetching things for his master. But Shan left with only a quick nod and disappeared silently into a side room. Cloud was surprised at how quietly the man moved. Tifa moved the same way, light on her feet and relaxed. Cloud briefly wondered how Tifa was doing and if she missed him. He realized that he was still standing and that Zangan was now studying him thoughtfully, a slight smile on his face.

"Please, Cloud, sit down. This story may take awhile to tell."

Cloud sat down.

"How is Tifa, Cloud?" Zangan asked.

_What is it that you cherish?_

Cloud frowned. "She's doing fine."

"Ignore the voice, Cloud," Zangan said. "So you live with Tifa?"

_Tell me what it is so that I can have the pleasure of taking it away._

"Forget the small talk, Zangan, and tell me what is going on here in Nibelheim," Cloud said, his chest knotting with something he had not felt in a long time. It was not fear for himself... but oddly enough, a fear for Tifa. His voice lowered to an angry whisper, "And why I can hear Sephiroth's voice here, when I killed him for the third time a year ago."

At that moment, Shan walked back into the room, holding a small plain-looking box. He handed it to Cloud without even asking Zangan first, then sat down himself, face impassive. Cloud took it gingerly and stared at the slightly charred wood on top. The two dancing figures were still in good condition, but they were worn with weathering and age. "Where did you find this, Zangan?"

"After the fire, Hojo had SOLDIER clear out all the rubble from the town, in order to rebuild it into what you see here today. Unfortunately for him, SOLDIER did their job less than perfectly. Instead of burning everything they found, they tossed the items into a ditch dug outside town. They buried the dead in a makeshift graveyard nearby. I suppose the soldiers felt some sort of sorrow for the town and did not want to see anything more burnt to dust." Zangan shrugged. " I returned to Nibelheim after taking Tifa to Midgar to find it overrun with Shinra and SOLDIER and the gates locked. I was scouting around outside the town walls when I found the ditch containing that. For some reason, I remembered Tifa telling me about it, so I picked it up to take back to her. But I never went to visit her." He waved a hand at the music box in Cloud's hand.

"Why did you come back?"

Zangan sighed. "I was hoping to find survivors. I had even brought a truck with me for them." His face saddened. "But there were none. Tifa was the only one to survive of those who stayed during the massacre. And even she had been badly injured by Sephiroth's hand." He leaned forward. "But you, Cloud… You survived."

"Barely," Cloud whispered, remembering the dark days when he had not known if he was merely a clone of Sephiroth with no past or family.

"But moving on to what is going on here in Nibelheim." Zangan sat back, glancing over at Shan. "There is activity over in the Shinra mansion again. I had heard reports of SOLDIER being brought back to life with a new leader."

"Who is this new leader?" Cloud asked.

Zangan's gaze was far away as he answered. "I don't know. But I do know that all this activity has something to do with Sephiroth. But I'm not sure how. For all we know, it could be Sephiroth who is their new leader."

"Does Shinra have anything to do with this?" Cloud demanded, thinking to himself that as soon as he could, he was going to have a long talk with Rufus Shinra.

Zangan shook his head. "I don't think so, Cloud. That is why Shan and I are here. We have been here about a month, watching as much of the activities in the mansion as we can. We have learned very little though."

A question suddenly struck Cloud. "Who do you work for, Zangan?"

"The Turks," a quiet voice stated from his right. It was Shan. "I am sure you are well-acquainted with us."

"Too well," Cloud muttered. Louder, he replied, "Ironic that the Turks are keeping watch on a fellow organization under the umbrella of Shinra." And that would also be the reason Zangan had no idea if Shinra was behind the new SOLDIER. The Turks rarely asked questions about their assignments; they simply did their jobs.

"What about the WRO?" Cloud asked.

Zangan waved the question away carelessly. "Reeve's pet project? Shinra approves of it, but it yet has to become a proper army."

"Cloud Strife, we need your help to get inside that mansion," Shan said, coming to the crux of the matter. "That is why you are here."

"That is why I am here? I came here to get a gift for Tifa, not to get involved in Shinra's dirty work."

Shan did not look offended at Cloud's outburst. He merely nodded. "Yes, you came to get a gift for Tifa. If you do not help us, do you think we will let you go back to give it to her?"

"Are you threatening me?" Cloud said, standing up and feeling anger welling up in him. Why was it that anytime the world needed to be saved from some dire threat; he always ended up in the middle of it. He was tired of being the hero all the time, the worship in Denzel's eyes whenever he looked at Cloud. He had tried to stay out of it when Kadaj and his gang had showed up, but Tifa had forced him to see what he was doing.

Shan shook his head. "Do you think she will even BE there for you to go back to?"

"What are you talking about?" Cloud said, his hand was creeping toward his sword unconsciously. Restraining himself, he drew his hand back to his side.

"What Shan is trying to tell you, Cloud, is that if you do not help us, this group may..." Zangan started.

"...attack Edge." Cloud sighed. Somehow, he wished he had not known the answer.

Shan looked sternly at Cloud. "There are troops in that mansion now, and there may be even more in the mountains. To us, they seem to be waiting... for what we are not sure."

"And once whatever they are waiting for happens, the world may be in for another war," Zangan said.

"I will help you," Cloud said. "When do we go in?"

Cloud was surprised to see the looks of relief on Zangan and Shan's faces. "No one knows this town like you do, Cloud," Zangan said. "It was as if the planet sent us to you when we needed you most."

"I'm not doing this for you or Shan, Zangan," Cloud said sharply.

Zangan smiled. "Someday, she will thank you, Cloud Strife."

* * *

Cloud peeked into the room from a secret hallway that ran parallel to all the walls of the outermost rooms. It was a simple setup and Cloud was a little surprised that the hidden passages prevalent in the mansion had not been sealed or posted with guards. Cloud shrugged as he leaned back, letting Zangan and Shan take a look into the room that had been converted into some kind of hospital ward with many cots. They were all empty.

Maybe SOLDIER was unconcerned with intruders since Nibelheim had been long abandoned and was far from anywhere. Or perhaps it was known that they would come... Cloud brushed away the disturbing thought. If they had known they were there, they would already be caught.

The three did not speak to each other but communicated only with hand gestures and their eyes. The mansion was old and sound carried very well through it in spite of the invasive hum of hospital equipment. Zangan and Shan looked very grave as they mentally took notes of what they were seeing.

_Shall I give you despair?_

Cloud could not resist looking around the hallway at the voice echoing through his mind. It had been quiet for sometime. Why did it come to bother him now?

_You are only a puppet, Cloud. Just as you have always been._

Cloud ignored the voice as best he could, but the words he heard were beginning to eat at him. _Not a puppet, I am not a puppet._

Zangan signaled for them to move on and Cloud led them down to the basement where they had found Vincent.

Shan was the first to peer into the basement and he almost immediately backed away, a look of disgust on his face. He waved Zangan forward.

When Cloud's turn came next, he was not surprised. It looked like the area in the Mako reactor that had contained those monsters before Nibelheim burned to the ground. The only difference was that there were at least a hundred men and women sealed into the tubes, all seeming asleep and calm. And normal.

Zangan motioned that it was time to go when a man walked into the room, an entourage of lab-suited scientists behind him. Cloud stared at the man in disbelief. He looked like Denzel! The same peppery brown hair, the same face, the same walk, only the eyes were different. Zangan must have sensed Cloud's emotions because he tapped Cloud on the shoulder, wanting to see.

Cloud moved back, feeling slightly sick. Could that have been Denzel's father? The boy had told him his father and mother were dead. Killed in the fall of the Sector Seven plate. Maybe it was another relative. Or maybe he was just seeing things and there was no resemblance at all. One thing was for sure; it was not Sephiroth who was in charge of SOLDIER. That man had had the look of authority of a man in charge.

Once Shan had finished scanning the group himself, they were ready to go. Cloud led them out of the mansion, and they furtively headed back to Zangan's home to discuss what they had seen.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Music Box**

**By Ceres Sky**

**Chapter Four: Return**

It was a somber group that entered Zangan's house after their mission into the old Shinra mission. Cloud was still mulling over the fact that Denzel's father could possibly still be alive. Zangan and Shan did not seem quite as worried as Cloud, but by silent agreement, no one spoke until they were all safely sitting down in the upstairs living room.

Cloud was the first to speak. "Who was that man?"

Zangan and Shan did not have to ask him to specify which man he meant. "His name is Abel. He used to be in charge of the 3rd Business Division, but after all that has happened within Shinra, he was given control of SOLDIER. Seems they were pressed for personnel after Meteor. We were afraid that someone else had killed him and taken over but it seems Abel is alive and well." Zangan glanced at Shan. Shan nodded, as if acknowledging an unspoken question. No one had to name Sephiroth as the one they were afraid had somehow returned and taken over SOLDIER.

Cloud paled. So that man was Denzel's father. The man's name and his former position in Shinra matched what Denzel had told him. What was he going to tell Denzel? That his father was alive and under some sort of suspicion by Shinra? That he was in charge of SOLDIER? Cloud shook his head. He had a lot to think about during his ride home.

"You know Abel, don't you, Cloud?" Shan asked.

"No, I only know who he is," Cloud said cryptically. He did not want to reveal that Abel's son was living with him and Tifa.

Shan nodded and stood to his feet. "I must prepare to go over to the mansion. On official business this time." He left the room. Cloud stared after him, surprised that Shan had somehow made a joke.

"Shan will be performing an inspection supposedly. He's really there to keep an eye on what's going on and the scientists will know that. But they won't be able to make him leave. They know how the Turks work," Zangan said. "And I must go report to Tseng. He will want this information personally."

Cloud realized that he was being dismissed. He took his pack from the floor beside the couch and stood to his feet. He did not want to forget the whole reason he had come here: Tifa's music box.

Zangan looked up at him and sighed as he followed Cloud downstairs. "Give Tifa my regards," he said, as Cloud opened the door.

"I may, Zangan," Cloud looked over his shoulder. "I may not."

Zangan shrugged. "It is best that she not know what I am up to these days, but I cannot stop you from telling her. Know though that I am sorry I never came to see her while she was recovering in Midgar."

"I think she forgave you a long time ago, Zangan. That is the way Tifa is." Cloud walked away. The door behind him closed before he had gone even a few feet and Cloud was left alone underneath the dawning sky. He looked around him at the deserted town. Somehow, in the light, Nibelheim looked even more lonely than it had in the dark. In his heart, Cloud hoped that he would never have to return.

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Cloud roared to a stop in front of Seventh Heaven around noon. Two energetic children exploded from the front door as he pulled off his goggles.

"Cloud's home! Cloud's home!" Marlene danced on the sidewalk, her face agleam with delight.

Denzel came more quietly, but there was a grin on his face. He met Cloud's gaze and rolled his eyes at Marlene's antics. "Welcome home, Cloud," he said gravely.

"Marlene." Cloud gave her a quick, awkward hug. "Denzel." He patted the boy on the shoulder. He loved the two children, but he was still working on showing his affection. They did not seem to mind his poor attempts at doing so though.

Marlene took his hand. "Cloud, guess what?" She grinned up at him as they walked into the bar.

Cloud glanced at Denzel, who was on his other side, but he received no help from the boy. Denzel merely shrugged and grinned too, and Cloud realized that it was Marlene's news to tell. So he looked back at Marlene

"What?" He asked. He could hear Tifa upstairs; she was talking to herself and it sounded like she were opening and closing dresser drawers.

"Tifa's taking us to the carnival!" Marlene said. "They have rides and ice cream and a carousel and chocobo races…"

Cloud looked puzzled. "Where is this carnival?" He had never heard of such a thing existing in Midgar or Edge; the closest thing to a carnival he had ever been to was the Golden Saucer and that was not nearby.

"Are you going to come, Cloud?" Denzel asked, his green eyes hopeful.

Cloud hated to dispel the hope in Denzel and Marlene's eyes. " I have to go talk to Rufus first. It might take me awhile."

Marlene looked ready to cry and say something angrily, but Denzel was the one to speak. "Why do you have to go talk to him?"

Cloud hesitated. "I might be able to tell you later, Denzel. But you and Marlene go have fun with Tifa for now." He pulled on one of Marlene's braids, trying to cheer her up. "If Tifa tells me where the carnival is, I can find you there after I'm finished."

Marlene stood in front of him, her hands clasped under her chin. "Really, Cloud? Tifa says we'll be there all afternoon."

Cloud nodded, glad to see the light in her eyes again. It still boggled his mind that he could bring so much joy to his family, he who felt he was nothing, and always felt that no one would want him around. He scratched the back of his head, kind of embarrassed at the way Marlene and Denzel's faces lit up at his announcement.

Tifa came downstairs, holding a duffel bag. She smiled at Cloud. "I'm sorry I didn't call you, Cloud, but I thought you were going to be home later." Cloud did not need her to tell him that she was working on getting him to call them more often when he was out instead of the other way around. "Why do you have to go talk to Rufus, Cloud? Is there something wrong?" She set the duffel bag on the counter.

Cloud shook his head. "I don't know, Tifa." He walked toward her, the children trailing behind him, quiet. He reached into his bag and pulled out the music box. He handed it to her shyly.

"I found this for you, Tifa." She took it from him, her eyes wide.

"Cloud… my music box… the exact one," she said softly. She looked up at him. "Where did you find this?'

Cloud shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant, but enjoying her reaction. "Oh, somewhere around."

Tifa laughed and then hugged him. Cloud stepped back in surprise and bumped into Denzel. He looked down at the children and saw the huge grins on their faces. Then, they both scurried upstairs, Marlene's giggles floating down behind her.

"Thank you, Cloud," Tifa said, stepping away from him, and he could see the brightness in her eyes that meant she was about to cry. "It's beautiful." She turned the key on the bottom and listened to the tinkly song. She hummed along to it, smiled at Cloud, and turned to walk upstairs. "I'd better take this upstairs so that the kids don't break it."

"You're welcome, Tifa," he whispered.

Cloud watched as Tifa went halfway up the stairs, paused, looked back at him, and then came back down. She put her free hand on his cheek, and Cloud could feel himself blushing. She was staring into his eyes and Cloud did not know why. She stepped back, and Cloud let out the breath he had been holding.

Tifa frowned at him. "Cloud, when was the last time you slept?" She put her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look.

Cloud could not keep the befuddled look off his face. "I... I don't remember." And he honestly couldn't. Sleep had been the furthest thing from his mind the past 24 hours.

Tifa smiled at him gently. "Well... you probably should take a little nap before you go see Rufus." She took his hand and tugged him along with her up the stairs. "We'll be gone in ten minutes and you can relax for an hour. Surely Rufus can wait that long."

"I.. I guess so." Cloud let her lead him down the hallway.

She pushed him into his room. "See you later, Cloud," she said breezily before shutting the door.

Cloud looked at his bed and sighed. Tifa had made it for him after he had left it a rumpled mess the day before. He collapsed onto the bed. Later. He would tell her later about where he had been and what he had seen.

----------------------------------------

**Author's Note:** Many thanks to those of who reviewed my story ☺ I try not to write because I get reviews but I have to admit that they do make a good incentive to finish this. To Senigata: I would have liked to tie this in to DoC somehow but I don't know enough about the game's storyline to do so ☹ Shan's an original character but it's neat that he actually looks like one of the Turks from Before Crisis. Maybe once I read more about Before Crisis, he could be one of them. ☺

I had two choices for the name of Denzel's father from two versions of Case of Denzel from On the Way to a Smile: Abel or Eber. I went with Abel because it's a more familiar name. :) Two more chapters to go and this story is done!


	5. Chapter 5

The Music Box

By Ceres Sky

Chapter Five: The Carnival

"I'm sorry, Mr. Strife, but the President is not here today." The receptionist looked pleasant enough, but Cloud could see a hidden disappointment in her eyes. She swept a curl of black hair behind her ear and frowned at her computer before looking out the front doors of Shinra headquarters. "He's at the Carnival, near the Meteor Memorial. Shinra is sponsoring it so the President will be making a speech. He should be back in his office afterwards though." Obviously, the receptionist wished she were there having fun instead of working at the headquarters.

"What time is his speech?" Cloud asked, tempted to rub at the sleep that still lingered in his eyes. He settled for blinking rapidly while the receptionist stared at him. His nap had helped him very little in the way of actually making him feel rested, but he had somehow dragged himself out of bed fifteen minutes ago after sleeping for only an hour.

"3:30 this afternoon." The receptionist eyed him warily. "Are you all right, sir?" When Cloud simply nodded in response, she asked, "Would you like me to make an appointment with the President for you?"

Cloud shook his head tiredly. "No thank you. I'll just see if I can catch up with him at the Carnival."

Now it was the receptionist's turn to blink at the thought of someone like Cloud being able to just "catch up" with President Rufus Shinra as if they were old buddies. "All right, sir, have a nice day." She promptly dismissed him from her thoughts and returned to her computer.

Cloud left the building, looked up at the sunny sky, unusual for Edge this time of year, and sighed. He was not exactly hopeful that Rufus would be willing to talk to him at the Carnival, but at least he might run into Tifa and the kids while he was there.

------------------

Reno yawned as Rufus spoke on the platform situated beside the Meteor Memorial. The Turk stood in the midst of the crowd, supposedly performing his job as bodyguard. It was not a hostile crowd but it was a very quiet crowd. The President had been speaking for about ten minutes already. Reno smirked as he eyed the people around him. These folks would not be able to attack the President even if they tried.

"Blah, blah, blah," Reno muttered. "Get on with it, Boss. You know these people want to go have fun instead of listen to you." He would never dare say such a thing to Rufus' face, but when he looked up, he saw Rude glaring at him from the other side of the crowd. Apparently, he had not spoken softly enough because Rude's voice filtered into his ear.

"Quiet, Reno."

Reno shrugged his shoulders, rolling his eyes. He saw Rude sigh and focus his attention back on Rufus. Then he saw him. It was the spiky-haired guy, Cloud. It looked like he had just arrived. Cloud somehow managed to maneuver his way into the crowd without their even noticing him. Reno wondered how anyone could miss him with that huge sword hanging from his back. Not one to let slide an opportunity to goad their former enemies, Reno approached Cloud's position from behind.

He lifted his nightstick, just to give Cloud a friendly tap on the shoulder. Cloud grabbed the tip over his shoulder without even looking.

"Don't even think about it, Reno."

Reno tugged away his nightstick and frowned. "I wasn't gonna hit you, Cloud." When Cloud turned around, Reno grinned at him. "Just give you a nice, friendly hello."

"Sure you were." Cloud pointed at Rufus over his shoulder. "Can you get me a way to see him after he's done with his speech?"

"You wanna see the Boss?" Reno could not keep from showing the surprise on his face. He tried to mask it with a goofy grin. "Why?"

"I need to talk to him." Cloud glanced around the crowd. "Have you seen Tifa?"

"Whoa, Cloud. You're asking me an awful lot of questions. I'm supposed to be working."

Cloud eyed him dubiously. "Working, yeah. Is that what you're doing?"

So the great leader of Avalanche had a sense of humor. It was astounding to see. Reno was about to make another comment when he realized that Cloud suddenly seemed worried about something. He was nervously scanning the crowd. Looking for Tifa?

"Hey, you okay?"

Cloud nodded. "It's nothing." Cloud shook his head, not in answer to any question, because he put his hand to his head as if it hurt.

Reno pointed a thumb behind him. "I saw Tifa and the kids back there..." Cloud's eyes widened and he turned to look at the President, who was already ducking behind the makeshift walls of the platform...

Gunfire erupted in the midst of the crowd, and Cloud was gone, heading in the direction Reno had pointed. Reno looked around at the people crouching to the ground in fear. A few screamed again as the gunfire sounded again. He looked around and saw that there were people hiding behind the various attractions around the platform, people you would have thought were happy-go-lucky carnival-goers except for the guns they were carrying. The people ducking down to the ground were all looking up at him as if he were crazy as he moved toward the platform. He raised his nightstick and tapped it against his palm, listened to the radio chatter in his ear, and caught Rude's eye. They both glanced up at the platform and saw that Rufus had disappeared. From what he was hearing, he deduced that the President was safe, taken away by Tseng and Elena. That was all that mattered, but now it was Rude and Reno's turn to do their job.

"Huh, looks like I get to work after all," he said.

---------------------

Cloud found Tifa herding the kids away from the platform. Pushing through the now panicky and uncontrolled mob, he tugged on her arm as soon as he was close enough. She turned to him with fists raised but the concern and worry in her eyes faded a bit when she saw that it was Cloud. Cloud picked up Marlene and hurried along with Tifa and Denzel.

"Who is it, Cloud?" Tifa asked, tugging Denzel along, who was curious to see what was happening by the platform.

"I don't know," Cloud said, feeling as if he had been saying that too much lately. Maybe the one he really needed to speak to was Vincent Valentine. As soon as he felt they were far enough away, he put down Marlene and gently gave them a push toward the carnival exit. "Tifa, I want you to take the kids home. I'll stay here and see if the Turks need any help." He was already reaching for his sword.

Tifa looked ready to protest, but she clamped her mouth shut.

"Cloud, we can handle ourselves," Denzel said, obviously wanting to stay with Cloud but very willing to help.

Cloud shook his head, his eyes on Tifa's face. "No, I want you to go with the kids, Tifa." His voice softened, and he put a hand on her shoulder. "Please."

Tifa sighed, but she gave him a trembling smile. "Okay, Cloud. Just this once."

"Thank you," Cloud said as he moved back toward the platform. "I'll be home as soon as I can." He did not stay to watch them leave.

--------------------

Author's note: I'm so sorry about the long wait for this chapter. My son had pneumonia for about two weeks so I've been busy taking care of him. I've also been dealing with morning sickness and being tired all the time so I can't write during my son's naptimes in the afternoon because I'm taking a nap myself. ;) Hope I wrote Reno okay in this chapter. Even if I didn't write him perfectly, it was tons of fun. Sorry this is so short though. I wish I could have made it longer. Anyway, one chapter to go! Hopefully I can get it written in the next few days. Thanks for sticking with this story! I appreciate it. :)


	6. Chapter 6

**The Music Box**

by Ceres Sky

**Chapter 6: Rebirth**

Reno peered out from behind the platform walls and smirked slightly. There was Cloud, heading straight for the gunmen, his sword drawn, and looking very angry. Reno settled into a comfortable leaning position against the wall and prepared to watch a good show.

"Reno, this is no time to rest." Even with Rude's sunglasses hiding his eyes, Reno knew that his friend was puzzled. Rude leaned against the wall beside him, eyeing the different attractions around them, planning out an attack.

Reno shrugged. "The great Cloud Strife is coming over here to take care of them. You don't think he can take out five gunmen by himself?"

Rude adjusted his sunglasses. "Hmm..."

Reno punched Rude in the arm lightly. "Come on, admit it, man. Cloud can take care of it, and we don't have to do any work." Reno shrugged again. "Besides, Cloud somehow knew what was going to happen."

Rude frowned. "They weren't very good at their job. They didn't even aim at the President; they just fired their guns into the air." Reno grinned at Rude's use of the past tense for the gunmen.

"A distraction?" Reno asked. When Rude nodded, Reno said, "But a distraction from what?"

"Who knows?" Rude replied. "You say Cloud knew what was going to happen? We should talk to him after he's finished."

"No, he didn't know what was going to happen, just that something was going to happen."

Rude looked over at him, shaking his head. "Reno, sometimes you don't make a lot of sense."

Reno grinned back at his friend and then looked back out into the now empty gathering place around the platform. He heard various cries of pain and quite a few thuds from behind the quiet carnival rides. "Oooh, boy, Cloud's really mad. Guess he wasn't happy that the kids had to hear all that gunfire."

Rude sighed. "Let's go, Reno. Maybe Cloud's left at least one guy for us to take down."

"Aw, did you want to get in on the action too, buddy?" Reno put a hand on Rude's shoulder. When Rude glared at him, Reno laughed. "All right, Rude, lead the way." With that, the two Turks walked behind the rides and found themselves facing the back of one of the gunmen. He was too busy watching for Cloud to notice Reno and Rude. Rude stepped forward and nonchalantly knocked the man out with his nightstick. Rude shook his head as the man slid to the ground in an unconscious heap.

Reno knelt down to check the man's pockets and found nothing. He hefted the gun away from the man's hands and gave it a once-over. Then, he looked up at Rude. "Well, that was easy."

* * *

Cloud leaped down behind the two Turks before they even realized he was there. It took him a moment to verify that the two men were Reno and Rude. He slid his sword away and noticed the man on the ground. Reno and Rude were not surprised to see him.

"He's just knocked out." Reno pointed to the gunman, nightstick tapping against his shoulder in a silent rhythm.

"So are the others," Cloud said. "Where is Rufus?"

"Tseng and Elena removed him from the area as soon as the shooting started." Rude put an arm under the unconscious man's shoulders and heaved him to a semi-standing position. "We'll take this one for questioning. The police can have the rest." They all heard the trill of approaching sirens in the air and knew it was time to leave the area.

"Cloud, you knew something was going to happen, didn't you," Reno said, studying Cloud carefully.

Cloud almost looked embarrassed. "Not exactly. I just had a feeling." He had, in fact, heard Sephiroth's voice again, but he was not going to tell the Turks that, especially Reno.

Reno and Rude glanced at each other. Reno turned to help Rude and then looked back at Cloud, jerking his chin in the direction they were going. "Come on, we'll take you to Rufus."

* * *

Cloud found himself once again back at Shinra headquarters. The receptionist was surprised to see him following Reno and Rude into the building. She was even more surprised to see the unconscious man they were hauling between them.

"Hey, Sandy." Reno winked at the receptionist, who blushed and avoided his gaze. "This guy," Reno pointed to Cloud, "needs to see the President. Can you call him? We'll take Cloud up there."

"Uh... certainly." The receptionist reached for the phone, while the foursome headed for the elevator.

"Rude and I gotta take this guy over to questioning. The Boss is on the 25th floor," Reno said, letting go of their burden, who slid to a sitting position on the floor. Rude punched the buttons for the floors they needed. "Just barge on in, he won't mind. OW!" Reno glared at Rude, who had elbowed him hard in the ribs.

"Thanks for the help," Cloud said, trying to sound gracious but not entirely succeeding.

The elevator ringed up Reno and Rude's floor and they stepped off with the gunmen between them again. Reno turned to give Cloud a jaunty wave. "Have fun!" Cloud saw Rude frown slightly before the elevator doors closed again.

Cloud indeed planned on barging in to Rufus' office, but somehow he imagined even that would not surprise the powerful Shinra President.

When Cloud entered Rufus' office five minutes later, he found that he was correct. The President was sitting in his wheelchair, entirely relaxed. He actually seemed to be expecting him. Tseng and Elena stood near him. They spared Cloud one glance and then turned to look out the window that spanned one wall of the room, ignoring him.

"Cloud Strife." Rufus wheeled from behind his desk to situate himself beside it. "For once, are you coming to ask me for help instead of the other way around?" He motioned to a chair, inviting Cloud to sit down, but the swordsman remained standing a few feet in front of the door.

"Rufus, I've been to Nibelheim," Cloud said. "I need to know..." He stopped when someone entered the room behind him.

"Ah, Zangan," Rufus said. "You're just in time to meet Cloud Strife."

Zangan glanced at Cloud in surprise and came up beside him. "What are you doing here, boy?" He whispered before speaking to Rufus. "We've met, President Shinra."

"In Nibelheim, I assume?" When they both nodded in reply, he motioned to Tseng. "Zangan, you may go with Tseng and Elena for your debriefing." Wordlessly, Tseng and Elena turned from the window and walked out of the room, Zangan following them after telling Cloud to be careful. Cloud wondered why Zangan would tell him this.

"Now, Cloud, we can talk without worrying about any ears listening. Although I do trust Tseng and Elena, I am sure you do not." Rufus leaned forward. "And Zangan worries you even more I see."

"I need to know why a rogue group of SOLDIER is based in Nibelheim," Cloud said, wanting to get through this interview as quickly as possible. He felt the weight of the cellphone in his pocket and guiltily realized that he should have called Tifa so she would not worry.

Rufus tilted his head, looking almost puzzled. "A rogue group, you say?"

"Yes, a rogue group, Rufus." Cloud could feel himself losing patience. "That is what Zangan said they were."

Rufus raised a hand. "Correction, he did not say they were a rogue group, only that we were keeping an eye on them. We know very little about them, Cloud." He shook his head. "Although I am uncertain why we were attacked at the carnival. They did not seem intent on causing any lasting harm."

So the incompetent group at the carnival was part of SOLDIER? Cloud had not been impressed. "Zangan did say that Sephiroth was involved in the formation of SOLDIER in Nibelheim."

Rufus seemed nonplussed. "Did he now?" Rufus said almost to himself. He quickly recovered though and with a wave of his hand, dismissed Zangan's statement. "Zangan is an old fool. He is useful only in training now. You've met Shan?"

Cloud nodded.

"Shan has learned not to take Zangan's ramblings seriously. I would suggest the same to you, Cloud." Rufus wheeled his chair behind his desk and reached for his phone. "Yes, please send Tseng and Elena back in when they are finished." He looked up at Cloud as he replaced the receiver. "I would love to chat with you all day, Cloud, but I am a very busy man. I'm sure you will understand."

Cloud realized that he would not be getting any more information from Rufus today, but he also realized that Rufus knew very little about SOLDIER and that it worried him. Cloud left the office, wishing he had learned more but glad that he could finally go home. The words Sephiroth's voice had whispered right before the incident at the carnival still haunted him though.

_And so it begins... Cloud..._

* * *

Tifa swept the floor worriedly, wondering where Cloud was. For some reason, she felt edgy. She was sure that it was the abrupt ending of their carnival outing that was making her feel so, but something about it had felt wrong. She had the tiny television in one corner of the bar turned to the news and no one had been killed or even injured when the gunmen had broken up the crowd with their shooting. The police had arrived at the scene only to find four men unconscious behind the teacup ride, their guns beside them, the barrels sliced off. Obviously Cloud's doing, but where was Cloud?

She could hear the kids upstairs, talking to each other in their room. They had wanted to help Tifa clean up downstairs, but she had told them to go on up to their room and relax. The incident had rattled them as much as it had her. They probably needed to talk it out anyway.

When the door to the Seventh Heaven opened, Tifa looked up, expecting to see Cloud, but finding ten unfamiliar men dressed in civilian clothes walking into her bar.

"I'm sorry, the bar is closed today," Tifa said politely, instantly disliking the man in front of the group, who was eyeing her with a little smile. With a start, she studied him more closely and realized that he looked very much like Denzel. His expression told of an unstable personality though and he had a long sword strapped to his back.

"Tifa, is that Cloud?" Tifa heard Marlene ask from upstairs.

Tifa did not want the kids to come downstairs to see, so she shouted back, "No, just some confused customers."

"We're not here for drinks, Miss Lockheart." The man, obviously the one in charge, said. He motioned to one of the men on his right, a dark-haired man with a lithe build and green eyes. The man headed for the stairs.

"Wait!" Tifa leaned her broom against the bar counter and stepped toward him, but someone grabbed her arm to stop her. "Please, leave the kids..."

She turned and knocked away the man who had grabbed her, and he fell to the ground, rubbing his head. Tifa stared at him in shock. That punch would have knocked even Rude out of commission for a few minutes, but this man only sat there and looked at her as if she had hit him with a feather. She tried to defend against the next attacker, but four of the men jumped her. One hit her in the back with a stun baton and she was on the floor, immobile and helpless. She cursed to herself.

"Oh, we're not here for the kids. Just a little wooden music box and..." The leader replied nonchalantly as if she had not even put up a fight..

Tifa found herself hauled to her feet and pushed against a wall, facing five guns, their barrels pointed straight at her. Two men pinned her against the wall by her arms. With a sinking feeling, Tifa stared into the leader's brown eyes.

"You."

"Why are you doing this?" Tifa asked, wishing she had her gloves on, but knowing that even with them on, there was nothing she could do.

"Tifa!" Denzel said, ready to plunge into the group of intruders.

"No! Stay back!" Tifa said, desperation coloring her voice. The boy would not stand a chance against those weapons. Marlene hid behind Denzel, her frightened eyes boring into Tifa's.

"Shan! Keep those kids on those stairs." The leader nodded to the stairs and one man left his post to get the music box from Shan and hand it to the leader. Tifa looked at Shan, who seemed almost sorry this was happening. She wondered if there were any way she could appeal to him, but he was trying to calm the children and restrain them at the same time.

"Ah yes, do you know, Miss Lockheart, who this music box belonged to?" The leader waved it in front of her face, smiling.

"It's mine."

The leader laughed. "No, no, before you owned it, it belonged to a young scientist named Lucrecia Crescent."

Tifa was startled to hear that name. Vincent's one and only love. It reminded her what a different world Vincent had come from and just how long he had lived.

"That intrigues you," The leader said. He stepped close to her; Tifa glared at him, struggling as much as she could to get free. He suddenly raised the hand with the music box in it and smashed the box against the wall beside her head. She felt wooden splinters fall to her shoulder and then onto the floor. He stepped back and then held out the music box to her, pulling off the shattered top.

"Miss Crescent was a very intelligent woman. She stored these in this music box. We are not sure why, but now we have found a use for them."

Tifa saw that a syringe full of a black liquid and a materia nestled in a hollow space lined with a silver material in the box. It had been in there for years and she had not known it.

The leader pulled out the syringe and attached a silver-bright needle to it. Then, he handed it to one of his men.

"Have you ever heard that in order for us to experience rebirth, we must die?" The leader smiled at her as if they were having a discussion about the weather. He took his sword from the scabbard on his back. It made a slight ringing sound as it left the sheath. "I'm afraid, Miss Lockheart, that it is time for you to die."

Tifa felt tears rising up in her eyes as she looked over at her children. Look away, look away! She wanted to say, but she knew that they would not listen. She struggled vainly one more time to free herself.

The leader sprang forward, malice in his eyes, and Tifa stared at him in shock as the sword slid into her chest. She clutched at the sword, feeling the edge dig into her fingers as she gripped it, vaguely heard the children scream, experienced pain that she had felt only once before, felt her heartbeat accelerate and then thump erratically as her lifeblood trickled down the sword, heard a sound as of rushing wind, and then heard a voice. A familiar voice that she had never wanted to hear again. Sephiroth.

_Hello, Tifa, you will make a perfect gift._

And then she felt and heard nothing. "Cloud...," she whispered as the leader pulled the sword from her chest in a spatter of red and she collapsed to the floor, unseeing.

* * *

"TIFA!" Marlene and Denzel strained against Shan's arm, but he held them back effortlessly though their rage made them strong. When Tifa fell from the sword, they burst into tears, hugging each other and sobbing. "Tifa! Tifa!" They kept saying. Feeling his job was done, he left them and moved into the room.

Abel was already tapping the syringe and looking down at the fallen woman, as if waiting for the right moment. He bent down to peer into the lifeless ruby eyes and then injected the black liquid into her neck. He put out his hand and one of the men handed him the gray materia that had been in the box. Abel plunged it into the wound in Tifa's chest and stood up.

"Take her to the van. The Jenova cells will help only marginally right now. We need to keep her alive until we can get her into a regenerative tube. It is the only way she will be of use to us." Two of the men moved forward to pick her up, seemingly oblivious to the blood on the ground and on the wall, while another quickly wrapped her chest wound with gauze.

"What about the kids?" Shan asked.

Abel turned to look at them as if seeing them for the first time. He shook his head. "Leave them," he said.

Shan glanced back at the two huddled children, who still sobbed pathetically. Shan followed the rest of the men out of the bar and wondered what in the world SOLDIER had become and why he had to be a part of it.

* * *

Cloud stopped Fenrir outside the front door of Seventh Heaven, wondering why no energetic children came bounding out of the bar, anxious to see him. He stepped off his motorcycle, suddenly feeling uneasy. His hand brushed his sword as he walked to the door. It was swinging open in a light breeze from the street. He listened carefully and thought he heard whimpering inside.

He burst into the bar, sword raised and was accosted by Marlene and Denzel, both sobbing into his shirt. Cloud looked around the bar and saw the blood spattered on the floor and the wall by the counter. His chest constricted with that awful fear.

"Tifa! She's dead! They killed her!" Marlene wailed.

She's dead. Dead. Dead. The word echoed through Cloud's mind and he stared at the scene, sword falling from his hand to land with a clang on the floor. He felt his legs weaken as he imagined Tifa pinned against that wall by a sword, dying. He slid to the floor and the children sobbed into his shoulders as he held them.

"Who did this? Where is she?" Cloud whispered. He put Denzel away from him and shook him by the shoulders. "Denzel? Answer me!"

"Ten men. They came in. Tifa told us they were just confused, but then someone came up the stairs. He took Tifa's music box."

"And then that man killed her with a sword, Cloud!" Marlene said. "He looked like Denzel!"

Denzel started at Marlene's statement. "He... looked like me." At that, Denzel stood to his feet, anger filling his eyes and he ran upstairs, feet pounding on each step.

Cloud knew who had done this, but he had much to explain to Denzel. The incident at the carnival made sense now. It had only been a distraction. He looked down at Marlene and tried to speak gently. "Marlene, then what happened?"

"The man did something to her, with a needle and a materia, and then they took her away," Marlene said, wiping at her eyes. She hugged Cloud desperately. "He said they needed to keep her alive. But I saw her die, Cloud, I saw her! Why would they kill her only to keep her alive?"

Cloud hugged her back. Marlene had given him hope. Tifa might still be alive. "I don't know, Marlene." His eyes narrowed as that voice came to mock him again.

_Shall I give you despair?_

_What is it that you most cherish? _

_Tell me, so that I may have the pleasure of taking it away._

"Tifa," Cloud whispered.

**End**

* * *

Author's Note: Whew! That was quite a chapter to write... I was going to write a teaser scene for the next story here, but I'm worn out. Thanks for reading, everyone, and I hope to start on the sequel soon. :) 


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